Partners For A While
by Celtic Ice Dragon
Summary: Sirius has been up to something and it makes Lily ready to kill him, but when she gets trapped between Snape and Potter she must learn to pick the better of two "evils". Set during seventh year.
1. Partners For A While

"Are you kidding me?" she frowned in disgusted frustration at the stupid mistletoe above her. She was going to kill Black.

She sighed and looked around the empty hall for someone to save her. It was Christmas Eve and she was stuck in the doorway until someone came and kissed her.

She perked up when she heard footsteps coming towards her, "Hello?"

Then, to her horror, at the end of the hall Snape walked towards her.

She cursed and looked around frantically for someone else. She needed to be saved for a different reason now.

Whistling could be heard from behind her so she spun to face her possible hero.

And cursed again. Potter.

She winced and looked at the approaching boys, neither of whom were paying enough attention to notice her yet.

She sighed, gotta pick your demons.

She cast a silencing spell so the other boy wouldn't hear.

"Potter!" she whispered.

He failed to hear over his whistling.

"Potter!" he looked up in surprise and stared at her suspiciously, it want often that she called him out for nothing...

"Help me out here?" She gave him puppy sag eyes and he was hooked. He just needed to know what he had to do.

"What can I help you with Madam?" She grimaced and stepped to the side, revealing Snape to Potter.

His eyes narrowed but then widened once he took in the whole picture. He sprinted under the door just before the still oblivious Snape reached his Lily.

He stood in front of Lily so Snape couldn't see her and spoke to the greasy haired got, "Scuse me Snape but could you find a different hall?"

The boy finally looked up from his book and glared at Potter, "What reason is that Potter?"

"Well..." he pointed up.

Snape paled and spun on his heel and hurried away.

Potter sighed and turned to face Lily and grinned, "Good?"

She smiled at the raven haired boy, "Yeah just one problem."

He raised an eyebrow, "One of your buddies charmed all of the mistletoe. Traps all females. Kinda hard."

His mouth fell open and she mentally applauded him, he hadn't shown this much restraint and manners in never.

Then again, he had hardly said a word to her since the year started.

Slowly he bent and gave her a peck on the cheek, blushing.

"Might be safest if we stick together for today Lils." Without further ado he grabbed her bags and started walking.

Over various hallways were little sprigs of mistletoe and every time Lily got trapped beneath one James was right there beside her before any other eager guy with a simple (and sweet) kiss on the cheek or forehead.

People stared and whispered but Lily dint care and James had gone back to whistling.

Sirius was nowhere to be found all day, much to Lily's disappointment. James couldn't have honestly cared less if she ever found Sirius, he didn't really mind their situation but he wasn't going to say anything.


	2. Christmas Day

"BLACK!" Rang through the Hogwarts castle that Christmas morning.

Girls from all houses came downstairs and found themselves trapped under doorways once again and they were not pleased.

Lily herself was fuming.

Here she was, happy to start the holiday with no worries or frustration when she suddenly froze at the bottom of the staircase when she went down to say Merry Christmas to the common room.

James, who, like most, woke to the cry of all the girls, came stumbling groggily out of his rooms with a few other boys.

Upon seeing her he did not immediately register that she was stuck, all his groggy mind registered was that she was beautiful.

Which unfortunately for Lily, was also registered by others too.

The mistletoe only got to James as he noticed the not so subtle elbowing between the other boys around him. And when they all raced toward her, so did he.

Lily watched, helpless as Potter jumped the railing, cutting in front of the others and then raced down the banister to her side where he roughly grabbed her arms and kissed her forehead, yanking her out from under the mistletoe all with the speed and finesse of a Chaser.

She couldn't help but smile at him, "Thank you Potter."

He grinned, "Hey I just raced all of Gryffindor to save your life first thing in the morning. The least you can do is call me James eh Lily Flower?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "We'll see Potter."

He laughed and shook his head in good natured amusement, "Am I your escort again today, or do I need to go fetch Snape?"

"Snape definitely." He looked closely at her face and found no signs of joking, she looked completely serious.

He let out another laugh, "You know Lily you could make a good Marauder someday maybe."

She laughed, "Oh yeah? What makes you say that?"

"You have the best lying face I've ever seen." She grinned at him before turning and heading to the portrait hole.

He silently whooped for joy as he followed her (and freed her) out of the Portrait.

In Transfiguration he had to help her into the classroom with a peck on the cheek before heading to his usual desk in the middle of the room, next to the rest of the Marauders.

Only Sirius wasn't there. James asked Remus (Who didn't know) and Peter (Who knew even less) and neither of them could tell him where their best dog was.

Lily found herself in her own predicament when she realized that above every girl's desk was a sprig of mistletoe.

She quickly folded a piece of parchment into a paper airplane and placed a charm on it before throwing it at James.

He turned as the charmed plane weaved through the classroom to peg him in the head, and at her urgent but inconspicuous upwards pointing, noticed the mistletoe he stood (in class), took her hand and kissed it like a courtly gentleman.

He then pulled here from her seat and sat in her desk, gesturing for her to take his.

James couldn't stop his grin when she turned red and turned away.

McGonagall blessedly said nothing to the two, only a slightly curt, "Better not happen again Potter" at the end of class.

At the doorway Lily surprised James by standing on her tippy toes and kissing his cheek, "Thank you James."

He stood frozen for several moments before willing himself to follow her. After all, if that was a thank you…

In Charms he nearly killed everyone but to everyone's surprise, Lily didn't yell at him or even get angry. She merely came over and showed him the correct way to handle the admittedly hard charm.

Flitwick nearly toppled his books he was so surprised.

The most amazing part though was that night after dinner in the Common room. James was sitting with Remus, playing wizard chess and losing badly when she came over and sat in between them with a full view of the board.

The two boys stubbornly tried to keep playing but finally gave up as she continued to sit in silence, "Uh Lily? Are you stuck again?"

She smiled slightly, "No, I just wanted to wish you both… Merry Christmas."

Remus smiled as he realized how much effort it took her just to say that so he was amazed when she went on, "And sorry for how Ive treated you all in the past."

With that she stood and, looking around cautiously, dropped a few whiz poppers on the board between them, "Merry Christmas."

James couldn't take his eyes off of her as she walked away. He would forever count this as one of the best days of his life.

He turned wordlessly back to the chessboard and looked at the whiz poppers she had given them and sighed.

Remus looked at him like he was insane, "Are you OK? Lily Evans just wished you a Merry Christmas and you sigh like you just left a funeral. What's eating you?"

James groaned and leaned back in his chair, "Ive gotta find Sirius, Rem. Like it or not, Lily is finally giving me a chance but its only because of the mistletoe, which she hates." He sighed again, "Ive gotta find him and make him fix it."

Remus gaped at his friend; he was willing to let Lily go by making Sirius get rid of the hated mistletoe just to make her happy? The mistletoe was the only reason she was talking to him in the first place!

But if it was what his friend wanted he would help him.


End file.
